Heaven's War
by FabledMaster2100
Summary: Long before PANDORA's heights and the SYNDICATE's peak power, came the advent of contractors and the birth of a hero. His benevolent nature will forever be tarnished by a life of indefference and a world of alienation.
1. Chapter 1

_Heaven's path hath stopped by none,_

_Hell's raging fire never ceases,_

_The moonlight's beacon shining ardour,_

_Fill hearts with cries and tears of anguish,_

_For loadstars to decide celestial order,_

_Drive minds into bottomless recesses,_

_Only for the revolution to be undone._

Prologue

"Brother, look! A shooting star!" a vivacious voice cried. A girl around her early teens stood under the wide night sky, with her feet under the shallow depth of a lake, gazing at the multitudinous sea of celestial orbs, glittering ever so delicately into her eyes.

A boy roughly in his middle teens sat on a hill by the lake. "Well what do you know? You know what they say; a shooting star means something wonderful is born into the Earth, like your hopes and dreams," he boy said, accompanied by his Satake telescope.

"I will," the girl clasped her hands and shut her eyelids as multiple shooting stars darted across the celestial sea, like little pearls with tails attached to them. The boy stood up and looked into the eyepiece of his precious telescope and said, "Wah! The night sky is having a party tonight!" The girl ignored what he said and continued to make her wish.

"Isn't the night sky just wonderful when the stars are out? It makes you wonder if other people just like you and me are looking at their image of the sky. If so, perhaps they are wishing a wish just like yours," the boy remarked in wonder.

"Brother, I had that thought before. Who knows, perhaps another version of me is out there somewhere, stargazing with her brother!" she queried whimsically.

The boy thought to himself: _Oh how I want to learn more about the night sky and unveil its grand mysteries to the people. Its elegance is beyond wonder in a dimensionless ardour to captivate the hearts of persons young and old. The night skies have captured my heart and the heart of my sister's. That is how I wish it to be._

The boy began to dismantle his telescope as the girl ran out of the shallow lake water and asked, "Where are we going brother?"

"To Yangshuo （阳朔）," he replied.

"Yangshuo? But Guilin's scenery was so surreal and special today, why are we leaving this heaven?"

"You know what they say, Guilin （桂林） scenery is top notch but Yangshuo is one notch higher."

"Really?"

"Really, the skies will be prettier than tonight's."

"You promise?"

"I promise because I know!"

The boy thought to himself: _I wish mom and dad were here to see this._ He paused for a moment but regained time and zipped his bag, with the Satake telescope inside and started to work his way uphill to a gravel path of enchanting Guilin.

"Wait for me!" his sister hollered from behind.

In an instant, the skies turned purple and hazy, with the bright and beautiful stars gradually dimming in luminosity. With the sudden change of hues in the night sky, the boy turned around and glared at the empty heavens. A minute ago, the sky was a panoramic view of cosmological wonder. Now, it is a wonder in different respects; a wonder of inconceivable oddity. The boy saw one star, equidistant from heaven and Earth, resting there in a lonesome manner. A bright light shone wildly in the blank, violet sky, as it approached his sister who was standing on the grass beside the shallow lake, with her head turned facing the one star present before her. The boy dropped his telescope onto the gravel road and ran downhill towards his sister. As he did so, he slipped on a rock and rolled down the hill in pain. His left knee was bleeding from a cut against a sharp rock but he continued to struggle in reach for his sister's welfare. The boy's face was directly facing his sister's as he gaped at the bright light before her. It was something he never came across in his lifetime before, a light more beautiful than a full moon but equally painful to watch. The blinding radiance slowly embedded itself throughout the girl's body, as her brother stared in shock that sent signals of pain to his eyes. Thenceforth, two stars appeared in the night sky, as the girl fell on her back, breathing slowly but sleeping soundly. The boy lost consciousness and laid there, exhausted from the recent hurly-burly.

Chapter 1: Day of the fallen stars

The boy woke up and found himself curled up on a bamboo mat. He saw his sister sitting at a corner, staring blankly into space. She was not her original self, unlike yesterday, with her awe-inspired eyes and full-inspirited energy. Instead she just sat there, motionless, thoughtless and unfeelingly at a corner. The boy stared at her bored expression, without any clue on how to approach her.

"Sister," the boy said.

She did not respond.

"Sister!" the boy said again and shook her body, "Why won't you talk to me!"

"Ah, I see the two of you are awake," said a woman who entered the room. She wore a simple white blouse and grey pants, much like a peasant, with the classic neck-length black hair covering her crown. The boy turned his head immediately and asked, "Who are you?"

"You can call me auntie Ye, and you?" she inquired.

"I am Li Shunsheng （李舜生） and this is my sister Li Lihua （李丽华）," the boy replied.

"Well then, my husband found the two of you sleeping by a lake and noticed your injury, so he brought the two of you here in his car," the woman kindly explained.

"Thank you madam," the boy said as he kowtowed before the woman.

"Where are your parents?" the woman asked.

Li looked at the woman with a mournful look and said, "They passed away."

"I am sorry to hear that," the woman said.

"By any chance, is that yours?" the woman asked while she pointed at a tubular bag on the floor, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, that is my telescope; I want to be an astronomer when I grow up," said Li Shunsheng.

"What a good boy you are. Come in and have breakfast. Bring your sister in too," the woman insisted.

Li Shunsheng supported his sister using his left shoulder and dragged her limp body into a well-lit dining room. In the dining room, a small dining table of knee height was situated in the middle of the room. A pot of congee and other side dishes were placed neatly on the table, with a tower of bowls and spoons beside them.

Li sat by the table, with both knees kneeling on the floor and poured some congee into a bowl using a ladle found resting in the pot. He did the same for his sister. He then placed pieces of chicken and vegetables in both their bowls and began to eat. Lihua did not touch her food and stared blankly into her bowl.

"What's wrong? Aren't you hungry?" Li questioned with food in his mouth.

Lihua responded with the slightest nod and moved her hands. But it was in vain, as her strength collapsed before it touched the spoon within her reach. Shunsheng dropped his food, picked up her bowl and spoon-fed her like an infant. A strand of Lihua's jet black hair fell into the bowl. Shunsheng looked at the strand in surprise and picked it up from the bowl. He stared at her face, still plump, not malnourished or lacking in any aspect. With a shrug, Shunsheng threw the strand of hair on the floor without second thought. In contrast to his casual behaviour, he developed a deep concern for his sister's well-being after the shocking incident.

"What is the matter with you? Why are you so lazy all of a sudden?" asked Shunsheng.

"Help me," a faint expression left her mouth.

"What was that?"

"Help me. I cannot move."

"Should I call a doctor?"

"No."

"Then how am I supposed to cure you?"

"We cannot stay here. We have to run away," her speech became more comprehensible.

"What do you mean?"

"People chasing us… I will be gone… You lonely."

"That will not happen! I will never leave you! Mom and dad would never let me!"

"We must run away," Lihua said monotonously.

"Auntie Ye," Shunsheng called.

"What is it," auntie Ye asked, stepping into the dining room.

"Can we see a doctor?" Shunsheng asked.

"What for, your injury wasn't fatal, you will be fine," Mrs. Ye replied.

"No, something is wrong about my sister."

"Your sister?"

"She cannot move and have difficulty speaking."

"You don't say."

Li nodded and said, "We need to take her to a doctor."

"Then my husband will drive you there," Mrs. Ye said.

"Thank you," Li Shunsheng said.

That morning, Mr. Ye and Li brought Lihua to a local hospital. It was raining heavily, grey and sombre, ruining the sky from its usual morning glory. Li looked out the window in the waiting room and gazed at the flurry of rain pouring down on the parking lot outside, producing massive puddles. He turned his head to the room in which his sister entered for examination. The door opened and a man wearing round spectacles, with combed hair, clean shaven and a white coat walked out.

"Ye Shaoyong, is there a Ye Shaoyong （叶邵雍） here?" said the man.

"I am here," Mr. Ye said.

"Is she alright," Li asked the doctor as he stood up from his seat.

"She isn't showing any physical abnormalities except a shutdown in her motor skills, I am afraid she might be suffering from ALS," the doctor said.

"ALS, can it be cured?" Li asked.

"I am afraid I cannot confirm if she has ALS, since you came premature. It is incurable and I do not have the proper treatment. Let us hope this is only a temporary symptom," the doctor stated.

"Okay," Li said with a little glint of optimism in his eyes.

"Are you their father," the doctor asked the man who brought them to the hospital.

"Uh, I am Ye Shaoyong, their uncle and guardian," was his white lie.

"I advise you to get her medical attention at a government hospital."

"How much would it cost?"

"Five hundred thousand Yuan for transportation and hospital care; it is cheaper at a government hospital. Is money a problem because we are unable to subsidize," the doctor warned.

"No it is not a problem," Ye Shaoyong retorted.

"There is a good and affordable hospital in Macau called the Central Hospital, I am a certified state physician and can grant you permission to butt in line, for a fee of course."

Ye Shaoyong looked at Li and her sister. Li looked at him in desperation and his sister wore a woeful expression on her face. With his benevolent nature, he could not resist to abandon the misfortunate children. Mr. Ye faced the doctor with a clear expression.

"I will pay for everything, how much is the fee?" Ye Shaoyong responded.

"Ten thousand Yuan: no more, no less."

"Alright then, ten thousand it is."

The doctor handed Mr. Ye a piece of state medical documentation from his desk.

"Just sign here, here and here. Make sure the patient's name is filled out."

"Alright," said Ye. He grabbed a pen from the counter and signed the blanks.

"I will sign here and the deal is done. You have to pay us by cheque and the deadline is in one week. The girl must board a train in two days' time."

"Anything to save my niece," Ye said trying to act like a genuine, caring family member.

The three returned to the car and Mr. Ye opened the doors.

"How will I ever repay you," Li asked.

"When you grow older and make some big money, find me and take my wife and me on a long vacation around the world," was Mr. Ye's response.

"I will," Li promised.

Mr. Ye got out of his car and carried Lihua into the room Li and his sister stayed last night. Li remained in his seat and looked down at his lap. "Why does it have to be my sister? Why couldn't it have been me? She was so happy yesterday, stargazing with me. If I was standing in her place, she wouldn't have ended up like this! It is my entire fault, why did I have to slip," Li started to weep.

"Shunsheng," Mr. Ye said as he came out of the house. He walked to his car and took a good look at Shunsheng.

"Are you crying, men do not cry," he stated.

"My sister ended up like this because of me, I failed to protect her," Li said while sniffling.

"What are you talking about," Mr. Ye inquired.

"Last night, my sister and I were stargazing. Lihua was so happy, standing independently in the lake, free from any worries. Later that night, the stars suddenly disappeared as if a large cloud blocked everything but no cloud could be seen. Then all of a sudden, a bright light appeared and it hit my sister. After that, she stopped being herself."

"You cannot guarantee that, what happened to her was fate, any intervention was against nature's ways. Besides, time only moves forward you know, we cannot go back."

"Then why is nature so cruel?"

"If you replaced your sister, how do you think she would feel?"

"Miserable."

"Exactly, you know if you replaced your sister, she will feel equally sad as you right now. Fate gave her the pain of not being able to move, but fate also gave you suffering."

"It is still unfair!"

"Life is unfair, but we have to face it. That is why live."

"We live because it is unfair?"

"If life was smooth and fair for the entire journey, then it would be boring. This cruelty of life is what causes conflict, making life worth living."

"I guess you are right," Li said while sniffling. He wiped his eyes and walked out of the car, dissatisfied by Mr. Ye's reasoning.

"That's my good boy," Mr. Ye said, messing Li's dark hair with his palms.

"How old are the two of you?" Mr. Ye asked.

"I am fifteen. Lihua is twelve," Li responded.

"_Men do not cry_," that line stayed with Li for the remainder of his life. He felt the need to grow up and be a man in order to protect his sister from future dangers.

It was night-time. Shunsheng and Lihua were sound asleep. Mr. Ye and his wife were in the dining room, drinking Yanjing beer （燕京啤酒）.

"My wife, we have to leave for Macau," Mr. Ye informed.

"Why?" his wife asked.

"I agreed to help these two poor children and paid five hundred thousand Yuan for professional hospital treatment in Macau."

"You are too kind, my husband. Indeed they are poor children, with no place to live and a family to take care of."

"From now on, we must act as their guardians."

******************************************************************************Li sat by the window on his seat in the train. He looked out into the vast sunflower fields, rice paddies and wampi orchards that passed by and noticed one similarity: the beauty of nature's greens; swaying in the summer breeze; growing under the summer radiance. He looked around and found himself isolated from that natural paradise of care and growth. Instead, he was placed on a train, full of urban filth and depreciative residue. "We are almost there," Mr. Ye said. Li heard Mr. Ye's remark but did not respond. He was busy contemplating on the disparity between the outside farmland and the inside train.

About an hour passed since the last view of a mountain had passed and the herd of water buffalo was spotted. He looked up at a rack where his telescope rested and turned his head to face his sister, whose eyes seemed lacklustre from the incident two days ago. Li peered out the window once again and found the train approaching a metropolis. It was Macau, with its high rise skyscrapers, grand casinos and luxurious tourist destinations in view.

"It's time to leave Li, we have to find the hospital," Mr. Ye said while carrying Lihua. Li grabbed his telescope from the rack and followed Mr. and Mrs. Ye. They got out of the train onto the platform and followed rest of the crowd to a checkout station. By the time the company reached the checkout station, a man bumped into Li and snatched the bag he was carrying. Li turned around and yelled, "Thief! A thief stole my telescope!" The thief dashed away like there was no tomorrow. This angered Li Shunsheng and he started to run but was caught by the shoulders. He turned around and Mr. Ye shook his head, "There is nothing we can do about it, the main issue is getting Lihua to the hospital." Li turned around looking miserable and said, "I cannot even save anything, not even my telescope from that goddam bandit! How am I going to protect my sister?"

"There are evil people all around you and they will do anything for personal gain. You have to learn to be extra cautious when strangers are around," Mr. Ye said.

"Then am I a failure? Am I not worthy to be Lihua's brother?"

"You are not a failure. Follow me and nobody will get hurt."

Li looked at the ground in discontent, and ran out of the station. "Wait!" Mrs. Ye cried. She followed and caught him by the arm and said, "You cannot just run off like that young man, it is dangerous!"

"So what if it is dangerous? I am fifteen years old and capable of taking care of myself! My independence is my own right!" Li looked back with eyes of disappointment and hate.

"Our first priority is to find a taxi to get to the Central Hospital. If you want to see her well again, I advise you to calm down and follow our lead," Mr. Ye said.

Li, Ye Shaoyong and his wife ran through the main lobby of the hospital in a hurry. Mr. Ye took out a signed form and showed it to a desk worker at the front office, "We have an emergency permit from a state doctor."

"Okay sir, I will search for computer records," the desk worker said, "You are Ye Shaoyong and the patient's name is Li Lihua?"

"Yes I am, and this is an emergency."

"A doctor will be down to take her in a moment."

"Thank you."

Minutes later, four paramedics rushed down and carried Lihua away. The desk worker informed the company, "The three of you will have to wait in room 201 on the second floor until she is ready to leave," said the desk worker.

"Alright," Mr. Ye replied.

He turned around and saw Shunsheng looking down on the floor and said, "Your sister will be fine, I promise."

Li looked up at the man and hoped of the same as well. This was not the first time something fatal happened to a family member of his. His parents were killed in a vehicle accident two years ago, leaving the two children to take care of themselves in an empty apartment. For Shunsheng, losing another close family member would be mortally devastating.

"I hope you are right. I hope everything will be alright," Li said.

Mrs. Ye hugged the boy who was taller than she and said, "All we have to do is wait and hope. Hope there is nothing wrong. With only hope can there be the better happening."

Lihua was brought into a medical facility, resembling some sort of experiment chamber. The paramedics placed her on a CAT scan. She lay motionlessly like always as the paramedics prepare a proper scan of her body. In an instant, Lihua kicked one of the paramedics in the stomach and pounced on their chest, much like a ferocious tiger. She then grabbed the neck of the paramedic with both hands and sent a strong jolt of electricity pulsed throughout the figure. Mucous and blood poured out of the paramedic's cavities, which stained the floor. The other paramedics witnessed this horrific attack and headed for the door to escape this madness. But it was no use; Lihua with her mysterious new powers ran passed the other three and blocked the exit. The deaths of the remaining three paramedics were inevitable; pronounced by the shrill sound of bloodcurdling screams as it filled the room with blood splattered all over the walls.

Lihua stepped out of the examination room and shut the door tightly to prevent any clues from leaking out of the previous chaos. In addition, she used her powers of molecular manipulation to jam the door, as if it was glued tightly and air-locked to the wall. The examination room was left with four dead corpses lying on the floor, with their eyes, ears and mouth engorged and leaking blood. Her white dress was stained with the fresh blood of her victims but it did not concern her. Her cold expression indicated no remorse after slaying four innocent lives. She ran downstairs and located Shunsheng and the couple. "Lihua, you are alright! How did you recover… why is there blood on your clothes?" Shunsheng asked with an awkward stare.

"My name is Xing (星) and anyone who knows too much must die!" she said with a domineering voice.

"What has gotten into you?" Mrs. Ye asked.

Xing pounced onto Mr. Ye and shocked his heart until the palpitation halted. Mr. Ye fell to the ground with his eyes and mouth wide open, petrified like a stone grotto. Mrs. Ye's face turned pale and her body collapsed to the floor. Xing walked over and shocked her fainted corpse until every signature of life was sucked dry from the body. Terrified by this monstrosity, Li hid his eyes from the unbearable and cruel slaughter.

"We have to go," Xing said.

"Don't hurt me! You haven't been yourself for some time now, can you explain all this," Shunsheng inquired in fear.

"I will not kill you for you are still of use to me."

"I am still of use to you? What do you mean Lihua?"

"My name is Xing, Li Lihua no longer exists!" she obstinately defended.

"I do not understand," Shunsheng said, confused from this mess.

"You do not have to understand anything; just follow me to the Syndicate."

"What is that you speak of?"

"The Syndicate is an organization where my kind is doomed to follow to ensure the security of mankind."

"How do you know of this Syndicate?"

"My biorhythm links my mind to others of my kind, for the purpose of survival. It is an instinct too alien to your senses."

"I have one more question."

"Make it quick."

"Are you still my sister, or some possessive being, that 'kind' of yours?"

"I am still you sister, but my identity will forever be concealed for pragmatic reasons. Follow me closely and nothing will go wrong," she said in utmost confidence to guarantee his absolute safety.

Shunsheng followed Xing down the hallway and out of an emergency exit. The two, brother and sister escaped into the fresh outdoors, away from the sick insanity that was contained in the hospital. They fled quickly down the streets of urban Macau, leaving a trail of residual evil behind. The clear blue skies from before converted into a grey patch of rainclouds; interwoven to shed its sombre fluids. The light rain soothed Shunsheng, relieving him from his trauma. He could not wrap his head around his sister's transformation; from the deathly aura around his sister, confused by her randomly unusual behaviour and her sudden change of heart. It was as if she was killed and revived, attached with a cold and calculating persona from some wretched necromancy. Since that moment, Li Shunsheng no longer saw the world the way as before. As the skies continually poured harder and harder, the two sought for refuge in parks, away from the public.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A New Face

The world turned upside-down for Li Shunsheng. First, the stars no longer twinkled at night, ending his hopes of becoming an astronomer. Second, his sister's bizarre transformation further alienated his existence. The day the stars vanished, all hope of brightness met its demise. A new world order will slowly creep from the shadows, enveloping humanity from within. Li Shunsheng felt a tremor of ill omen without the stars, the natural order of things.

It was nightfall and the clouds above Shunsheng and Xing were as dark as a crow's preened coat. Xing was running for blocks and Li Shunsheng trailed her with all his effort to catch up. It was difficult; after his sister inherently gained her new powers, she possessed a supernatural physical upgrade. However, Shunsheng was considered quite athletic by most of his age group. Xing abruptly paused in front of a convenient store and turned around. Shunsheng caught up and panted heavily. She turned around and started to walk. Li immediately followed and caught his breath.

"You lied to everybody, right?" Shunsheng asked his sister while following her footsteps on the streets of Macau. He coughed at the extreme pressure pressing against his over-exercised chest.

"Yes, I lied to everybody in order to get here and join the Syndicate," Xing, Lihua's new ego replied with a stern look.

"So you never lost your strength?"

"Never felt better."

"But you have lost your sense!"

Xing stopped for a minute and turned around to converse with her brother face to face.

"Senses are only for the weak and deprived. Reason and lies brings people success. Corporate giants and politicians are all the same. I am here to survive and succeed; therefore my senses must be thrown away! For survival, every action justifies the mean and emotions will make it crumble," Xing said in a callous manner.

"I do not know you anymore Lihua; I do not know who you are anymore!"

"From now on Lihua is dead! You may choose to forget all about me and I will not care, but remember this, I am Xing and I am still your sister!"

Shunsheng stared into her eyes with mixed feelings of grief and solace. "She is still my little sister and I have to take good care of her," he thought.

"Alright Xing, how about this, from now on I will help you achieve success," Shunsheng promised.

"Then you are still of use to me," Xing said with a utilitarian mindset.

Xing and Shunsheng walked down an alley between two abandoned buildings in the outskirts of town. It was already dusk and the skies were dark, secluded from all the light pollution in the inner city. The buildings looked ancient, resembling that of a Chinese temple built in the eighteenth century. They entered the building; old and rickety with a thick layer of dust on the flat hexagonal tiles that tessellated on the floor. _This place must have been some complex of worship_, Li thought to himself.

"Why are we here," Shunsheng questioned.

"You will see," she pointed to the corner of the room to something resembling a trapdoor. Li Shunsheng and his sister ran to the spot in a hurry. With combined efforts, the two hoisted the knobs jutting out of the ground and discovered stairs leading to some chamber downstairs.

"We do not have a flashlight," Li stated.

Xing clapped her hands and generated an electrical spark.

"That is not enough, we need to burn something," Li commented. He searched around for firewood and found a stack sitting at another corner. He ran back with a couple of logs to the trapdoor and handed a piece to Xing. She lit the wood with her paranormal powers and entered the trapdoor with haste.

"Wait for me!" Li exclaimed and carried three extra logs in case the first one burns out and followed his little sister downstairs.

The stairs stretched five hundred steps deep into a chamber with two doors. Li looked at the left door and asked, "Which one is the correct one."

"The right one," Xing answered.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. My instinct tells me so."

Xing attempted to turn the knob but it didn't budge. Shunsheng pointed at the ceiling and said, "There is a key beyond our reach." He jumped up and down but the ceiling was at least three meters high. Xing in one move swiped the keys from the ceiling and landed soundly on her feet. Li asked, "How did you do that?" Xing did not bother to answer because she felt the answer was obvious. She opened the door and lit another log. The two walked into a dark corridor that appeared at first sight to stretch forever. In terms short, it was suspiciously darker than black. But the corridor terminated in about fifty steps and was blocked by a door. Xing kicked the door open this time and a bright meeting room was situated there.

The meeting room was well lit with a chandelier in the centre and torches all round. A roundtable sat in the centre, accompanied by twelve seats, finely furnished with gold leaf and intricate embroidered cushions of Chinese design. Li looked in amazement and thought the room bloomed of cultish appeal. Four men and one woman were sitting on the chairs but none of them were sitting on adjacent chairs.

"Greetings, I am Li Xing and a contractor," she spoke with a monotone voice.

"Ah, we have expected your presence. As a member of the Syndicate, you mustn't speak of the Syndicate's existence to ordinary citizens or else you have to sacrifice your life," a man spoke. He was Caucasian, middle aged with a beard and moustache, wearing a monocle and a tuxedo.

"Hello, I am Luke Pontenegro, the one who will be holding this meeting. I expect more contractors like you to come here," the man spoke Mandarin with a Caucasian accent.

"But why in Macau?" Shunsheng asked.

"People will not expect this secret society to be underground in some abandoned Confucian temple outside of Macau," Luke replied, "Let me introduce the two of you to the rest. That man over there is Wang Qixiong (王启雄), Shen Toufang （沈头仿）, Qi Bailian （齐白莲） and Chow Chiumat （周秋物）."

Wang Qixiong was a normal-looking young man sitting in the far left, clean shaven and wearing a T-shirt. Shen Toufang bore a face of a middle aged farmer from the Shandong province with a conical straw hat on his head; he sits on the far right. Qi Bailian, a woman in her thirties, probably a single mother with stoic eyes, who was staring blankly at Li Shunsheng and his sister; she sat on the left. Chow Chiumat, probably a native of Hong Kong who dressed like a gangster or smuggler from some Cantonese mafia; he sat on the right.

"Are you a contractor?" Wang Qixiong asked Shunsheng.

"No, I am Xing's brother. I plan to help her," Shunsheng replied.

"Look kid, if you are not a contractor, then there is no point for you to be here. We contractors have to unite to survive as a new species apart from humans like you," Wang Qixiong stated, pointing rudely at Shunsheng.

"Wait, I am not a contractor yet I am one of the founders of this organization. Let this boy join us. If he is willing to help, then he is of use to the Syndicate," Luke refuted on behalf of Shunsheng.

"Fine. But you have to get proper training or else you will be dead meat! We do not want to get our asses caught by some loose lips of a human," said Wang with a dark glare at Shunsheng.

"I see somebody coming," Qi Bailian said while touching a pool of water on the table.

"The man of the hour has arrived then, we have to ready ourselves," Luke Pontenegro announced.

Li and Xing took their seats as new members of this new organization: the Syndicate. Li Shunsheng looked up at the ceiling and meditated critically upon this issue: _What is this Syndicate and what are their motives? What benefits are in store? Is this some contract that I have to pay with my life? If so, then is it worth the price? _

The door Xing kicked down no longer blocked the entrance to the meeting room. Light footsteps could be heard from a distance, stealthily approaching the luminance of chandeliers and torches which burned within the room's walls. Li Shunsheng gazed into the darkness beyond where the door was situated and saw nothing. Moments later, a man in his late twenties to early thirties appeared, in business attire and wearing sunglasses. He looked Asian in appearance like a native of Shanghai, wearing a grey suit and yellow necktie tucked underneath the flaps of his collar. The man took off his sunglasses, revealing his dark and mysterious eyes that glowed in the light. To Li Shunsheng, his eyes were thrillingly scary beyond words. The man began to speak, "Salutations, new members of the Syndicate. I am Wu Tianxiang （吴天祥）, a co-founder of this secret organization, representative of the Chinese sector. I see every one of you have met my colleague, the esteemed Luke Pontenegro of the Sino-American sector. There are others like me, human with no special powers, who long before two days past knew of the inevitable existence of contractors."

"You know of our existence before our transformation?" Wang inquired.

"Yes, that is very true. Have you heard of the Mikata documents?" Wu asked after he took a seat.

"No," Wang honestly replied.

Luke explained to the rest of the group, "The Mikata documents were written by Tenma Mikata, a failed Japanese real estate salesman from two years back. He said the messages were 'memories from the future' given to him by the voice of god and it held the secrets of an abominable prophecy for mankind. He forwarded these documents to the Japanese government but they laughed at his preposterous propositions. People called him a crazy fool for such mad and unscientific theories. Tenma committed suicide the following day and the documents were stolen from his house by a CIA agent who was assassinated by yours truly."

"You killed a CIA agent so easily? Aren't you afraid they might track you down," Li inquired.

"My life is not important compared to the future of planet Earth. One thing is for certain, the existence of contractors must be realized," Luke stated.

"Wait, you are saying the existence of contractors should publicize," Wang asked.

"Very true Wang, we want to convert people into being comfortable with contractors being relatives or friends," Luke replied.

"Let me introduce the concept of contractors and the goal of the Syndicate," Wu began, "The Syndicate is an underground, global-scaled organization designed by international renegades to keep contractors from humanity and to prevent any unnecessary deaths. We promote peaceful coexistence, as well as species equality. The first problem is that once people learn of the existence of contractors, they will begin to fear them and attempt with all efforts to exterminate the minority. Luke and I do not fear the rest of you, so you do not have to worry about us. However, we expect to be regarded as your superiors for the sake of your survival. The day the skies dimmed on August second was officially the advent of a new species: contractors. This day was recorded in the prophetic Mikata documents as well. On that day, the real stars were shielded away from humanity's observation and the celestial order dived into chaos, as a select minority began to lose their characters. This side effect was intended to digress a fraction of mankind into an inferior species known as dolls, as explained by Tenma; passive mediums in a human body. However, Mother Nature toiled with her countermeasures which instigated a new species to arise from the dolls: contractors, beings of superior perception and ability. I trust Bailian is the only doll around here and everyone else is a contractor aside Luke and me."

"This kid over here is a human," Wang exclaimed, pointing towards Li Shunsheng.

"Oh is that so? Tell me young man, who are you and why are you here?" Wu asked.

"I am Li Shunsheng. My sister Li Xing is what you call a contractor. She requested me to be here," Li answered.

"A responsible young man you are," Wu commented.

"Very well then, the meeting is adjourned for today," Wu announced.

"I must warn all of you people never to speak of the existence of contractors to anybody you know. Keep this matter a secret for the sake of international security until further notice. Understood?" Luke said.

"In two days, we will be boarding a plane to Prague for an official meeting. Make sure everybody here gets a fake passport and identification. I trust Chow Chiumat can arrange the orders," Wu instructed, he looked at his wristwatch for the time.

"Oh yes, in addition, everybody must designate a codename right now. From now on and on future missions, you will be called by your codenames," Wu added.

"Why do need a codename?" Li inquired.

"What is a name? It is but something others call us by. Now you have the liberty to call yourself something you want to be called," Wu replied.

"Qian (乾)," Wang said.

"Kan （坎）," Shen said.

"Kun （坤）," Qi said.

"Dui （兑）," Chow said.

"Bai （白）," Xing said.

"Hei （黑）," said Shunsheng.

Wang, Shen, and Qi left the room with Luke Pontenegro, into the darkness that was the corridor. Chow, Shunsheng and Xing remained in the chandeliered meeting room with Wu Tianxiang. Wu stood up from his chair and walked away.

Li Xing fell off her chair and laid face down on the floor. Li turned around and exclaimed, "Sister!" He held her head up and placed two fingers against her lower jaw.

Wu turned around just as he reached the mouth of the corridor.

"Thank heavens she is still alive. I think she was tired from a long day in the hospital," Li laughed as he thought it was a joke.

"That was not particularly funny," Chow commented to Shunsheng's remarks, for the first time since his arrival.

"She was wide awake for most of the meeting, I doubt she is tired. My guess is that her remuneration is to rest after using her powers," Wu interjected.

"What do you mean by remuneration? Wait, how did you know she used her powers," Li asked in surprise of Wu's analytical abilities from little clues.

"Remuneration is like a 'punishment' for a contractor. It is a natural response as recorded in the appendix of the Mikata documents. However, we expected a contractor to conceive remuneration after one week of abusing their powers. Your sister on the other hand had it earlier than expectation but our estimate might be skewed by the lack of hard data. I know because her star glowed very bright in the sky. This data was observed by our astronomics division in downtown Macau. So far, only fifty two stars appear in the night sky and about ten are added every night," Wu explained.

"Stars are appearing in the skies?" Li questioned.

"Yes, the old stars are slowly being replaced by the contractors. According to the lore recorded in the Mikata documents, every time a human transforms into a contractor, a star is reborn. Every time a contractor dies, his or her star falls from the heavens. Your sister's star is situated in the sector BK-201 in terms of the Messier code."

"You mean the Messier catalogue."

"No, the Messier code; it is the new international star cataloguing system implemented after August second. BK-201 is where the star Yildun of the little dipper constellation resides."

"I know that one, star delta ursa minor."

"To my memories, I think Chow Chiumat is PH-117, Wang Qixiong is LQ-512 and Shen Toufang is SD-638."

"Which stars are they?"

"Chow Chiumat is Sadr in the Cygnus constellation, Wang Qixiong is Eltanin in the Draconis constellation and Shen Toufang Zaurak in the constellation Eridanus."

"Wah, they are all gamma stars!"

"You seem to be well versed in astronomy; perhaps you should join our astronomics team. We need minds like you."

"Sorry, I joined the Syndicate to protect my sister."

"You know what, after the meeting at Prague, I will find you and your sister a proper combat instructor. We need Syndicate members to be able to defend themselves before safeguarding the secret."

Li Shunsheng looked forward into becoming a member of the Syndicate and learning more about contractors and their biological faculties. He looked at his sister, who was sound asleep in his arms, with her bloodstained dress. Li then remembered the horror that happened back at the hospital and began to perspire. His heart raced and his eyes widened.

"What is the matter Li," Wu said, "You look startled."

"They are monsters!" Shunsheng exclaimed, "They are not human!"

"If sanity is the problem for you then you know too little about humans. Humans and contractors aren't dissimilar you know. In fact, blood has tainted human hands far greater a measure than any race of animal. Contractors are helpless beings who need to be fully understood before anything goes wrong."

"I hate the sight of death, its rotten taste and numbing sensation. In short, the sight of death is a grisly aesthetic."

"You have to learn how to cope with that, if you want to see your sister alive!"

"Then teach me everything about the art of killing, for the sake of preserving the lives of others!"

"That was a paradox in its finest, killing to preserve lives."

"But I must feel the world unlike before and see the world forever darker than black. Only then can I understand the world outside of my ignorant shell!"

Wu wore a smirk on his face and said, "You are one interesting fellow, wise beyond your age I have to say. I look forward to seeing your potential as a Syndicate agent."

The night was still and the new set of stars twinkled in the sky, waiting for more to join, awaiting a new party to stir. The age of contractors had officially begun and Li Shunsheng will remember that day as the day nothing remained the same.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Syndicate International

_Location: Prague, Czech Republic _

_1500 Hours International Standard Time_

Li and the company of seven boarded off a plane and arrived at the Ruzyne Airport of the Czech Republic. The airport was a busy and tight surveillance junction of international traffic; the company of eight must make it through the customs without any suspicion. For that matter, Luke and Wu acted like strangers while Shunsheng, Xing, Wang, Qi, Shen and Chow posed as one cohesive family of six. Li walked to the checkout counter and handed his passport to the customs agent.

"Cheng Maoceng (程茂层)," the agent said with a bored expression.

"Yes," Shunsheng said in English.

The agent handed back his passport and Shunsheng proceeded forward, joining Chow.

"You have to act natural," Chow whispered into his ear.

"I am trying uncle Xiao," Li said.

After a brief wait to get everything together, the group walked out the main entrance of the airport with their luggage and waited for four taxis.

A taxi paused before Shunsheng, Xing, Qi and Wang. "We have to get to this location," Wang said, looking at a slip of paper. The piece of paper read: 1200 Zicovych road. They got onto the vehicle and departed the rest of the company.

The taxi drove all the way to 1200 Zicovych road, but to their astonishment, the destination was an elementary school. Minutes later, Wu's taxi arrived, followed by Luke's.

"What is taking Chow and Shen so long?" Wang demanded an answer.

"Calm down Wang, they won't get lost," Wu replied confidently.

The company waited for about fifteen minutes and a white taxi arrived, it was Chow and Shen.

"What was the holdup?" Wang exclaimed.

"Sorry, Shen had to go to the washroom after Wu left," was his apology.

Shen smiled at Wang with a guilty look on his face.

"Alright, where to?" Wang asked Wu impatiently.

"Now, we have to walk twenty minutes to an assembly hall northeast of here," Wu said.

The company of eight found themselves in an assembly hall, filled with over five hundred other members of the Syndicate. In different corners of seats, sat contractors, dolls, and government agents from across the globe. Shunsheng walked passed many foreign faces and found a seat beside between some Caucasian rings.

"Sit here and do not leave," Wu instructed, "Luke and I will be on stage soon."

Wu and Luke left, leaving nothing behind. Li Shunsheng sat in his seat, bored from nothing to do. "What is this meeting about?" Shunsheng asked Wang.

"We will find out. It is probably a formal gathering of the Syndicate," Wang replied logically.

Li gave out a sigh and relaxed on his cushioned seat. At that moment, the lights in the assembly hall dimmed and spotlights shone onto the stage. A man in a formal suit stood before a podium in front of the audience. His back faced fourteen chairs, where Luke and Wu had their seats. An exuberant roar of clapping filled the room.

"Greetings, honourable members of the Syndicate," the man began in American accented English, "Let me introduce myself to all of you, I am John Taylor of the CIA and I am honoured to inform everybody what the Syndicate is about. The Syndicate was founded by yours truly and thirteen other members from different parts of the globe. Please give a round of applause for Luke Pontenegro of America, Wu Tianxiang of China, Charles Cunningham of England, Jean Paul Rochet of France, Yoshimitsu Horai of Japan, Dmitry Chekov of Russia, Heinrich Schiller of Germany, Christian Anderson of Denmark, Abdul Hamat of the UAE, Chandra an Ramachandran of India, Keith Keller of Australia, Paul Sanchez of Mexico and Jose Diges of Spain.

The heavens have undergone a massive revolution against mankind and mankind will no longer hoard the same food, living space and resources for themselves. Ladies and gentlemen, five days ago, as ridiculous as this may sound, the skies have fallen. The skies have been replaced by a new fate for humankind, a fate where humans have to share their food; share their resources with other sentient races. As all of us should know by now, planet Earth is no longer dominated by man, but shared with two sibling races: dolls and contractors. Some of us in this room already know who they are, and we are sitting side by side, with these new divine creations.

They look the same as a normal human would, but there is a distinction in psychology and physical capabilities. Contractors and dolls are what we may call paranormal beings without heart and soul, but a place in the skies; they have their own domain. Many governments in the world turned their attentions to one set of documents, the Mikata documents. Within the pages of the Mikata documents, we find a passage:

_They rise from trails of fallen stars,_

_In search of purpose from afar,_

_And seek what is left of humankind,_

_Leaving their perilous realm behind,_

_Confusing people and brooding hate,_

_The truth lies beyond hell and heaven's gate._

The Mikata documents are an invaluable forecast of what will become of this world. To prevent any panic and devastation from occurring, we gather the greatest minds and all walks of life to a non-government organization. This is the Syndicate we are forging today, a solution to all our future problems. The Syndicate promises a future where man, doll and contractor will exist without any conflict. It is still a long way since this prophecy has only begun to unveil. Let peace be maintained between us."

Li was tired from the speech and fell asleep.

Luke Pontenegro walked up to the podium and delivered his speech, "Thank you Mr. Taylor, for your wonderful speech this evening. Let me begin by introducing myself, I am Luke Pontenegro of INTERPOL and I represent the Sino-American division of the Syndicate. Ladies and gentleman, we of the Syndicate are a diverse group, with different talents and backgrounds. Some of us might be corporate leaders or research scientists from DARPA. Some of us might be construction workers or shopkeepers somewhere in Paris. I guarantee many of us come from different cultural backgrounds and religious ideologies. But why are we all gathered here? What is our objective? The answers are survival and peace. As John Taylor has told us, humans, dolls and contractors have to share the planet and live in harmony. The Syndicate is tied to many governments, although it is not governmentally organized, to act as a sentinel for the three species. We have to put effort into minimalizing crimes and feuds before a war breaks out of control. We also hope your cooperation will continue to promote this goal and our relationships are of mutual trust. My message on behalf of the INTERPOL is simple and clear: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil （视勿恶， 听勿恶， 言勿恶， 动勿恶）*. That quote by Confucius will be a new international motto. Thank you."

Li was snoring by now.

*非礼勿视， 非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动 （论语-颜渊）

"Wake up! Wake up Li," Wang said, "I know you are tired from the jet lag, but this is important information." Li woke up and noticed the assembly hall was nearly empty.

"Sorry, did I doze off for too long?" Li asked half blinded from the sudden awakening.

"Tch, yeah you did," Chow jeered.

"Where's Xing?" Li asked after noticing her disappearance.

"Xing and Bailian went out to find a place to stay. Wu will contact us later about the logistics of things," Wang said.

"So what did I miss," Li asked.

"You missed two speeches about the Syndicate's purpose. We kind of anticipated this happening. However, I thought the Syndicate was founded by international renegades, not collaborated with the INTERPOL. We really need to get the facts straight," Chow replied.

"What remain in question are their actions and our duties as members of the Syndicate," Wang added.

"What do you expect," Li asked.

"Nothing big I guess. Those bigwigs on stage share the most power amongst other members. I say, we might be used as pawns for that matter, however, it is crucial we stay close to their motives if we want to live in peace," Wang said.

"Then it is a matter of mutualism," Li responded.

Chow's phone rang and he answered, "Wei? Ok, alright. I got it."

"Who was that?" Li asked.

"It was Bailian; she found an extremely cheap motel in Libeznice. Looks like we are in luck," Chow replied.

"Hey! Wake up old man!" Chow yelled.

Shen Toufang awoke from his light nap and looked around like he was uncertain of his whereabouts. "What is happening?" he asked.

"We are going to stay at a motel and wait for Wu's response," Wang responded.

The four left the assembly hall into the streets of inner city Prague. Li Shunsheng gazed at the wide sky, in hope of the old stars being visible in foreign skies. It was hopeless; nothing could be seen, even for an untempered summer's night in Eastern Europe.

From this point onward, the members of the Syndicate chose to identify themselves by their codenames. Li Shunsheng's is Hei; his sister Bai. Wang called himself Qian and Bailian called herself Kun. Shen referred to himself as Kun while Chow personally named himself Dui. Contractor business is covert and any leakage of personal information might become a potential threat to the organization and international security.

Dui's phone rang and he picked it up expertly and responded to the call, "Wei? Who is speaking?"

"It's Wu. You will be called Dui from now on, understood. Those codenames you designated yourselves will be your new identities," Wu instructed.

"I want to get this straight, is the Syndicate controlled by governments or founded by international renegades," Dui asked.

"The conference should have been explicit Dui, the Syndicate is not controlled by governments, but we are tied to their intelligence agencies. You should have figured out by now, our goals can only be achieved if both sides shared data," was Wu's explanation.

Wu hung up on Dui and this infuriated him, "Damn! I am losing trust to these bureaucrats!"

"Bureaucrats are never to be trusted," Qian said, stating the obvious.

"I thought the relationship was mutual trust," Dui said in rage, he kicked a stool in the motel room.

Kun stared blankly while kneeling on a bed. Hei sat slouching on a chair and said, "Well it is late, and I think we have to rest from the jet lag."

"Goodnight," Kan exclaimed.

Kan, Kun, Hei and Bai left Qian and Dui alone and exited their motel room. Kan and Hei walked to the next room down the hall while Kun and Bai walked across the hall to their room.

The next morning began with a phone call from Wu around six in the morning.

"What is it?"

"Dui, your division must reach this destination. I advise you to copy it down."

"Let me find a pen."

Dui searched around the room and found a pen located in a drawer attached to the small table situated between the beds.

"Alright, lay it on me."

"Praha10 and from there you will be given more details. Get there by o-eight hundred hours and don't be late. Failure is not an option!"

Wu hung up without any warning, he was direct like always.

"Dang, why is he always like this?" Dui exclaimed.

Qian woke up from the commotion and asked, "Was that Wu again?"

"Yes and he orders us to go to this place," Dui threw the piece of paper to Qian.

"Praha10? Where is that? Is it a road or a building?"

"Who knows? It could be a brothel or another elementary school."

"Damn that man is vague."

"You got that right. Let's go, we have to wake the others."

Dui and Qian left their room untidy and walked across the hall to Bai and Kun's door. They knocked on it in some kind of sound code. The door opened and Bai attended to it. She looked at them with her melancholy eyes, still wearing that bloodstained dress, but most of the blood worn off from rain and sediments.

"Hurry, we have to get to a place by eight o'clock," Qian said.

Kun approached the door wearing nothing but underwear. Her appearance startled Qian.

Bai turned to face Kun and said, "Get ready, we have to go."

"I will be checking on Kan," Qian said with a red face. He turned his head with a sheepish look and walked off.

Kun nodded and Bai shut the door lightly. Dui was already at Hei and Kan's doorstep and knocked in the exact same sound code. Nobody answered. Dui knocked on it again, but nobody responded. Qian tried the same but it was futile.

"That is it! Crap I have to use this!" Dui used his contractor powers on the doorknob and the mechanism was forced open. Qian pushed the door only to discover the room was empty and spotless.

"Wow! Shen and Li tidied the place up," he said and entered the neatly organized room.

"Damn that Kan! Now I have to pay up," Dui punched the walls and forced a dent to appear.

"Easy there, we do not want to pay for any damage," Qian warned.

"Too late I already damaged it. We will have to cover it up by moving the cupboard to hide the evidence," Dui said.

Qian pushed the cupboard next to Dui, shielding the crack on the wall from exposure.

"Now we have to find them," Dui said.

"I bet you they have gone for breakfast at the restaurant outside."

"We have to hurry or else we won't get there on time."

Bai and Kun left their room and followed Qian and Dui outside. They walked to a nearby restaurant called _International Cuisine_, and found Hei and Kan sitting beside an all-you-can-eat sushi express.

"What are they doing there?" Dui asked.

"Eating of course," Qian pointed out the obvious.

The four walked into _International Cuisine_, to "rigorously interrogate" Hei.

"We have to stick together you know! Don't run off like that," Qian said.

"You can eat anything for only thirty Korunas," Hei pointed at the sign in front of him while stuffing his face with sushi.

"We have to go! There is no time for food," Dui said in a vexed temper.

Qian dragged Hei and Kan out of the restaurant outside and said, "What were you thinking? What happened if you got lost somehow?"

"We were just hungry," Hei said, "You cannot run on an empty stomach!"

Kan nodded with a smile.

"I will kill you the next time something like this happens, do you understand?" Dui roared.

"Sorry, we will stick together next time," Hei apologized.

"Now we have to get two taxis to Praha10," Qian said.

The team reached Praha10. Coincidentally, Wu called when they got out of the vehicles.

"Listen to what I say and follow my orders," Wu demanded on the phone.

"Alright," Dui responded.

"Do you see a lamppost?"

"Yes, we are between two of them."

"Walk to the one juxtaposed between two buildings and walk down that alley."

"Understood."

"Do you see something resembling a sewer grate?"

"Yes."

"Lift that up and climb into the manhole."

The team descended the manhole but a sewer was not to be found, instead the ground was level and dry. Bai blocked the manhole with the sewer cover and followed the rest of the team.

"Now walk to the left of the stairs until you reach two tunnels."

The team reached the two tunnels and Dui asked, "Which one sir?"

"The left," Wu replied and hung up.

"I hate it when he does that," Dui said, annoyed and crossed.

The team walked down the path and a wooden door blocked an entrance.

"The door is unlocked," Qian said as he turned the doorknob.

Beyond the door, sat Wu and Luke, both wearing sunglasses and matching black suits, much like professional agents.

"Greeting once again," Wu said while he removed his shades.

"Alright, why are we here?" Dui questioned.

"On your first mission," Wu said.

"Our first mission," Hei repeated quizzically.

"The six of you should be honoured since you are the first group to be assigned. Normally, a team consists of four members because four is sufficient, but this pilot mission requires more multiple spy-works, hence six." Luke informed.

"You will be luring contractors to this location in Prague," Wu passed a slip of paper to Dui.

It read:

_BIS_

"What is this BIS?" Dui asked.

"It is the Czech Republic's Security Information Service, an agency that protects citizens' rights. We need every Czech contractor safe from harm and you six will track them down." Wu said.

"How many are there?" Hei asked.

"We only need five for now; Kun will be responsible for using her spectre to see them. Make sure she is near someplace with plenty of water," Luke said.

"What is a spectre," Hei asked.

"A spectre is what enables a doll to see more of the big picture than any other being. They are perfect for spying," Luke answered.

"I know Dui can speak English fairly well, but I question the rest of you. If you haven't figured it out yet, English is the official language of the Syndicate. Since all of you know Mandarin, you already have a head start. We advise all of you to pick up French, Russian and German," Wu added.

"Do not kill anybody or reveal yourselves as contractors. You must keep this matter discreet as it is tight security. If you do, then it is mission failure," Wu said, staring at the group with discerning eyes, "Does everybody understand?"

"Yes sir!" Bai, Hei, Qian and Dui cried simultaneously.

"What are you going to do with all those contractors?" Hei asked.

"That is none your business. Your job is to round them up for the Syndicate. We will deal with them on our own," Wu said.

Hei put his hands in his pockets and followed the team out of the tunnels back to the surface.

"Man I heard the price of Mangoes have skyrocketed. I really crave for them right now," Dui stated.

"Seriously," Hei said.

"Yeah, back in Hong Kong, I ate mangoes on a daily basis. It was cheap there. I wonder what the hell is wrong these crazy prices."

"I think it has to do with the conflict between England and Mexico over oil rigs."

"How does that apply?"

"The kid might be right. In Hong Kong, you were probably eating the Thai and Filipino variety. Here in Eastern Europe, it is more convenient to get it from Mexico," Qian remarked.

"Damn EU and their stupid relations," Dui cursed.

"I think a unified continental economy is a great idea," Hei commented.

"Shut up kid," Dui scolded.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Operation Praha10

The skies darkened with rolling storm-clouds, morose and full of depressing attributes. Hei felt an ominous omen creeping around him since the start of the mission, so this sombre grace comforted Hei in heart. Bai followed her brother to a convenient store, alongside Kun. She held onto Kun's hand and said, "I know you are capable of looking after yourself but my brother is here to watch over you and as a backup communicator." Kun responded with a slight nod as she gazed upon Bai's delicate face with her usual emotionless eyes.

"Brother, you mustn't leave this place and keep her covered," Bai said with deepest concern. This shocked Hei for a moment since he conceived of a fully transformed and impassive sister since the catastrophe back in Guilin. This point added a bit of consolation to his heart. Bai left Hei and Kun and they waited for a signal from Wu. Hei and Kun walked to a nearby alley and rested on many crates situated there. Hei chose this spot because a tarp hung across the alley, shielding them from rain.

"Praha10, you will be searching for the following people in residence area VJ-3956: Andrej Novak, Radek Capek, Vaclav Masek, and Anastasia Kovar. Kun can tell who they are by her spectre and ability to identify contractors. If any others show up, capture them as well. We need to muster as many as possible," Wu contacted the team via an earpiece receiver.

"Understood," Hei, Qian, Dui and Bai responded simultaneously.

"Are you lonely?" Kun asked Hei.

"Huh?"

"Do you feel lonely from being stuck with a doll like me?"

"How can I be lonely if I have company?"

"You wish to be of more significance to the mission, do you?"

"Yes, but a human boy is incapable of confronting contractors."

"You are wrong," Kun said.

"How can I compare myself to them? Contractors are clearly superior!"

"That is true, but you have certain qualities that a contractor lacks."

"Wait, I thought dolls have no personalities," Hei noticed the drastic difference between Kun and Wu's definition.

"You are wrong again. The Syndicate have recently discovered our existence and in small specimens too insignificant for extrapolation. We are as diverse as our predecessors and you cannot tell the difference."

"The dolls are similar to humans?"

"In essence yes, but we usually conceal our mannerisms because we lost the need to express such things. You can say we lost all hope with passion."

"I see."

"Only the spectre differentiates humans with dolls, whereas a contract differentiates contractors with humans."

"Are you certain?"

"That is all the knowledge I can muster."

"Oh."

"I see a lot of potential in you because you can feel and that is more powerful than any faculty of any doll or contractor. Humans are not inferior; we all share common traits and hold different strengths."

Hei stood up and looked across the streets of inner city Prague from within the alley, wondering what will become of him. He then looked at Kun, kneeling beside old crates and asked, "What will become the three of us: humans, dolls and contractors? Where will fate lead us?"

"I cannot tell Hei. I cannot tell."

"Ah."

A signal was received by Hei's earphone, "Hei, Dui, Bai and Kan have reached their destinations. We have the four separate apartments and are waiting for Kun's spectre." It was Qian and he sounded like he was in a hurry.

"Kun is ready and she will tell you how to approach things," Hei responded.

"Roger that," Qian said.

Hei faced Kun and said, "Kun, the honours are yours."

Kun nodded slightly and began to tap into the network of contractors via a puddle of water on the ground.

"Dui, the man you are looking for lives in complex fifty one, building five, room one-three-four. Qian, complex twenty nine, building eight, room two-six-three. Kan, complex one, building six, room two-four-four. Bai, complex sixteen, building six, room two-eight-two." Her spectre ghost was probably in all four places before the mission's initiation.

"Thanks Kun, we cannot do this without you," Qian said.

Dui walked up to his assigned apartment and unlocked the door with his powers. He turned the knob slowly and opened it with great force, producing minimal creaking noises. Dui tiptoed his way into the entrance without touching the door any further. He could hear the sound of television in what was the living room of the house. A lone man sat on his comfortable sofa beside his pet dog and was watching some sort of Czech sitcom. The dog noticed Dui's figure through its sharp hound senses and started to bark. The man turned around and saw nobody in his vicinity and hushed at his dog. The dog barked even louder at the corner Dui stood. The man, now annoyed by his pet walked towards the point where his dog was barking at. At that moment, Dui struck the man with swift action at a pressure point, causing him to lose consciousness. The dog barked even louder but Dui ignored the ruckus. He pulled out his cellphone and dialled Wu's number, "Wei? A contractor form VJ-3956, complex fifty one, building five, room one-three-four is apprehended."

"If you look outside, a large truck saying Wing Tong Freight Delivery is parked around where you are. You are certain the person you caught is a contractor?"

"I doubt Kun made a mistake."

"Take him in anyways and drive to whoever is finished with theirs," Wu instructed and hung up.

"Now I have to punch something," Dui stated. He looked at the dog, still barking for its master. Dui grabbed the hound by its neck and punched a compressed blast of air to constrict the trachea. After the brutal but bloodless slaughter, Dui punched the poor beast until bruises darkened its coat of fur.

"Well, that was easy," Dui said to himself.

"This is Dui, I have completed my assignment," Dui contacted the rest while driving the truck.

"Look, I have to find a way to open the door," Qian replied.

"I have finished my share," Bai said.

"Good to hear that, I will stop at Bai's place and pick up the contractor before she regains consciousness. After that, I will open the door for you," Dui informed the group.

Hei and Kun were still stationed at their post and tapped into the network.

"What do you think the Syndicate's true motives are?" Hei asked Kun.

"I don't know."

"I just hope whatever my sister is doing isn't wrong," Hei said.

"The doer works blindly without a third eye for justice. She cannot tell what is right or wrong," Kun concluded with her maxim.

Dui drove the truck to a vacant parking space just outside of complex sixteen, building six, room two-eight-two. He got out of the truck with the car keys in his pocket and slammed the door. He ran up the stairs until he reached room two-eight-two and opened the apartment door. Dui noticed Bai lying on the ground and a prisoner tied to a chair.

"Bai wake up, don't sleep on the job!" Dui yelled. He turned to face a young, unconscious Czech woman and untied her. He lifted the woman's body and carried it downstairs to the back of the truck. After locking up two contractors, Dui ran back up the stairs and carried Bai to the front seat of the truck. She rested there and Dui contacted Hei, "Hei, why is your sister suddenly asleep?"

"That is her remuneration."

"What?"

"Her punishment, you have one too, right?"

"Yeah and I hate it!"

"Is she alright? No injuries?"

"She is fine. I will stop by Qian's building."

Hei turned to Kun and asked, "Did you see my sister with your spectre?"

"No, I only gave directions."

Hei cocked his head and gave out a sigh of relief.

"And I have to wait here with you instead of helping them," Hei retorted.

Dui was just around the corner where Qian was and received a signal from him, "Dui, did you get any messages from Kan?"

"That mute farmer probably does not know what he is doing!"

"Are you anywhere near?"

"I'm here and I will help you in."

Dui got out of the truck and ran up the stairs to room two-six-three.

"Good, now open this door," Qian begged.

"You will have to owe me one," Dui snapped.

"Sorry my pyro-kinesis is the problem."

"It's opened."

Qian slowly turned the knob and found nobody in his line of sight.

"Maybe they are upstairs?" Dui stated.

"Perhaps they are or maybe they are anticipating us. You never know."

Qian and Dui approached the kitchen and found nobody there. "Who's there!" an alarmed voice trailed from behind.

"Whoa an Anglophone Czech!" Dui commented almost instantaneously.

"Why are you here? How did you get in," the man questioned. He was around his mid-forties with grey hair on the sides and a dark brown crown.

"We are from the BIS and the Czech government is looking for Vaclav Masek," Dui explained.

"Liar you are not Czech!" the man said.

"We work for the BIS, turn Vaclav now!" Dui demanded.

"I am Vaclav Masek, take me," the man insisted.

"Liar, you must show exceptional physical powers and personality disorders. Are you hiding a family member?" Dui asked.

"No."

"You are lying," Dui walked to a closet behind the kitchen and pulled a boy out of there. The boy looked into Qian's eyes. His eyes glowed red and a blue aura emanated around him. The boy screamed loudly and strong lasers shot into Qian's eyes, out the other side of his head! Dui quickly reacted by striking the boy at a pressure point, halting the laser eyes. Qian lost balance and fell to the floor with his eyes and brains fried from radiation.

"Crap!" Dui swore.

The man was terrified by this atrocity and was too shocked to move an inch. The boy collapsed to the ground and was unable to pay his remuneration.

"Your son is fine, but my partner there is killed!" Dui said, "The government take over from here."

Dui called Wu by phone, "Wu, its Dui speaking. We have a little predicament with Vaclav Masek. You see, Qian is dead and the boy's father is probably in shell shock."

"Understood, bring the man to the Syndicate as well. We will deal with him ourselves," Wu hung up on the phone.

"Wait!" Dui tried to get Wu to respond but it was futile.

"Do you have a wife or any other family members," Dui asked the man who was experiencing a post-shock panic.

"No, I only have my son," the man responded.

"I see," Dui said. He walked to the man and attacked at a pressure point.

Dui transported the boy into the truck and went for the man. "Damn this man is heavier than I am!" Dui complained.

Dui got on the truck and left Qian's body in the apartment building. He let out a deep sigh and said, "This day is the most messed up day of my life." He noticed that his remuneration was paid when he stuck the boy and his father at pressure points.

Dui started up the truck with Bai sitting beside him and four hostages stored in the back. Bai woke up and looked around.

"Dui, where is everybody else?" she asked Dui.

"They are in the back, we only have Kan's left," he said.

"Kan, are you there?" Dui called Kan through his communicator.

There was no response.

"Answer me dammit!"

"It's done. I will be waiting," Kan said.

"Good! When I ask a question, you must answer!"

Dui and Bai got to complex one and Kan carried the body down to truck.

"Stay in here, the seats taken," Dui instructed.

"Wait, what happened to Qian?" Kan asked.

"He is dead," Dui replied.

Kan stepped into the truck without further questions and closed the door. Dui called Wu on his cellphone, "Mission complete with one man down."

"Good work. Deliver them to 158 00 Praha 5," Wu instructed and the instructions stopped there.

Dui contacted Hei and said, "Hei, you can leave now, the mission is complete."

"That is good news," Hei responded.

"I will fill in the details later at the motel. You can find your way back right?"

"Yes I can."

Hei, Kun, Dui, Kan and Bai were debriefing in Dui's quarters.

"So Qian is seriously dead?" Hei asked.

"It is unfortunate," Dui said.

"This contractor business must be dangerous work," Hei said.

"We have to be extra cautious from now on," said Dui.

"Then why are you doing this?" Hei questioned.

"We do this because our lives depend on the Syndicate," Bai answered.

"You let others exploit you just because your identities will be in jeopardy?" Hei was puzzled by their way of thought.

"Look kid, you have nothing to lose in a society of humans because you are a human. If we let the existence of contractors loose, then the public will hunt us down."

"I don't think you and I are that different. We look similar, made with two eyes, arms and legs. We wear clothes because we show signs of self-awareness and humility. The only difference between you and I is that power of yours. I am related to Bai and that power changes her birth?"

"My kind, Kun's kind and your kind do not mix! That difference should be kept a secret or else you humans will start killing innocent lives!"

"But a lot of humans know of our existence. They are responsible for forging the Syndicate. I think you contractors are not being protected, but being used."

"Shut your mouth kid! We want to survive and the Syndicate promises such."

"Dui is right Hei; the Syndicate is keeping the identity of every contractor away from the public to decrease mass hysteria. We joined this pact for our own safety," Kun said.

Hei looked at Kun with a troubled look, confused from everything she said before regarding the similarities of the three species. Hei stood up from his seat and said, "Goodnight. Tomorrow will be a whole new day. I hope everyone will be safe." He left the room, Kan followed. "What the heck, goodnight everybody," Dui said. The meeting was adjourned and the girls left as well. "Qian, I am sorry for all this: I salute you," Dui remarked on behalf Qian's premature death.

That night Hei had difficulty sleeping. He looked at the ceiling as a silhouette of the windowpane casted on his bed from the windows, from street lights. Hei thought to himself, "Contractors, dolls and humans: we are all the same, right? Why all this trouble to gather and separate? Why do we have to struggle to such measures to live in peace?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Storm 

_Three years later_

The clashing of thunder and sound of heavy rainfall poisoned Hei's ears. It had been pouring for weeks without end. This place was not like that cheap motel in Prague, quiet and benign with its descent service and convenient surroundings. Hei and Bai are now staying in a beat down apartment in Manchester England. Thunder flashed and lit the room from its usual blue to an electrifying white. Hei could not sleep, kicking his bed sheets, tossing and turning from the disturbance.

"God dammit! Why did I make this choice," Hei cursed.

He got out of bed and looked at his watch, sitting on a drawer; it read 3:42. Hei walked down the hall outside his room where creaking noises from the rickety floorboards trailed his every footstep. Hei's eyes looked like an insomniac but sleep deprivation was not his problem. He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of hot water. He later sat on a cheap, plastic stool next to a short, knee-height square table and sipped from his cup. The table appeared to be second hand. Hei developed a frugal sense since his separation from the group. He no longer communicates with Dui, Kan, Kun or Wu. Neither does Bai. However, Hei and Bai are still members of the Syndicate. They work for another team, living from their meagre earnings from the Syndicate.

"The rent has gone up, and a there is political unrest in South America with the rest of the democratic world. Which means I have to cut down the meat to twice a week," Hei noted himself.

"Hei, you have trouble sleeping too?" a quiet and stoic voice said.

Hei looked at the girl, now fifteen years old, wearing a purple jumper and cheap sweatpants, both probably fabricated from Vietnam.

"Yeah, I am worried about our future. The Syndicate pays every two months," Hei stated.

"I know. Perhaps we have to get part-time jobs."

"This place is a wreck."

"How is master Feng?"

"He is somewhere in town at the moment, that I am certain. I met him two days ago."

Feng or master Feng, called by Hei was his self defense instructor and one of the finest of contractors. According to rumours, he was revered the contractor of great calibre and strength with the ability to take down an army without abusing his powers and take the remuneration. Hei admired his master's talent; he aspires to be able to do the same. Wu promised Hei he will find him a martial arts instructor and the legendary Feng was appointed to take him as a disciple. So far, Hei can do just about anything Feng can as he was a quick learner with exceptional skill but Feng was always one step quicker.

"Bai, have you ever felt like you regret doing something."

"Regrets are for weaklings who cannot deal with the present and accept their decisions."

"I don't know about that, but I feel something empty in me, something that would be gratifying if I had it."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know, I am thinking about accomplishment."

"What kind? You have accomplished a lot for the wellbeing of contractors and dolls."

"You see, that is only a contribution for the Syndicate. I was talking more on life and for the global community. I have no money, no power, and no family to love. Sorry if I offended you."

"None taken, but those are human aspirations."

"I am a human, and I believe you are too."

"I am strictly a contractor. I am different."

"Bai, do you still remember your name?"

"It is Bai."

"Not the name you called yourself. The name everybody remembered you by when you were young."

"It was Li something."

"It was Li Lihua. I loved that name; it gives me purpose to live. Bai sounds too plain and abstract."

"Hei is too."

"I know. My original existence is slowly being erased. I am beginning to feel my purpose in life is fading away, like I relinquished it somehow. The stars of ages past now vanished into the void, and my dream of becoming an astronomer is but leftover ashes in the fire pit."

"All too human my brother, you have to stay at the present and predict the future with the clues around you."

"Why can't I revisit the past? It was so beautiful, innocent and hopeful. My sentiments of hope have nearly perished!"

"Sentiments this, sentiments that. I fail to understand all this."

"Quit acting, I know some of that is still in you. Kun told me something about you contractors and dolls."

"What is that?"

"Dolls and contractors are just like humans, but there is an absence of sensation and hope for passion."

"That is rubbish!"

"No, it is truth, but you psychologically push yourself into believing it is false. In time, you will know the power of sentiments."

"Sentiments will ruin you. Goodnight I am going back to bed."

Bai returned to her room and Hei just sat on the stool, gazing at the wall aimlessly and said, "Ah, why did I make this choice?"

The darkness inched away that night, not from artificial lighting but from the glow of a spectre.

The night sky roared with the sound of thunderclaps. A middle aged man walked down a dark alley wearing a thick jacket and rubber boots. He had trouble traversing through the mighty puddles and a wound on the left side of his abdomen. Down came another man who entered the scene with a mighty splash. He was the type who had a keen taste for the dramatic. He wore a dark cloak and carried a pistol in his left arm.

"Please don't shoot!" The man in the rubber boots begged.

The man in the cloak proceeded forward and asked, "Why shouldn't I. You are a traitor to the Syndicate. Are you trying to destroy your own race or all three?" The man strode closer.

"No you are mistaken; the world needs to know more about our existence! Don't you agree?"

"In time they will, they will all integrate! For now so should you!"

The man in the cloak pointed the gun in the face and said, "Goodbye SD-638."

But before the cloaked man pulled his trigger, the middle aged man's eyes glowed red for a split second and his body could not be seen. The cloaked man knocked his victim down with a roundhouse and detected him by the massive splash beside him. He shot SD-638 and there the body lay without a trace: no blood, no stench, as if the corpse just dissipated into its surroundings. That night, a star fell from the skies, without anyone to notice it.

"Feng am I glad to see you!" Hei exclaimed as he pulled a seat in front of his master inside a local coffee shop. Feng wore clothes that looked stereotypically Chinese, enjoying his afternoon coffee.

"How has it been lately, is your sister fine," Feng asked, like usual he bore a stoic look.

"My sister is well," Hei said.

"You are hiding something from me," Feng stated. He looked at Hei sharply.

"You got me there," Hei said with a smile, "Look, we are running out of cash with the soaring prices here in England. We work in the same faction but here you are drinking a cup of coffee, when I can barely get myself food on the shelf!"

"My position differs from yours. Currently, you are employed half of the time whereas I am regularly on duty," Feng explained.

"Well that explains part of it," Hei said.

"Speaking of duties, last night a spectre showed up at my place and do not know why?"

"It could be the Syndicate's way of checking up on the two of you."

"That is an invasion of privacy!"

"Well, the Syndicate is always watching out for traitors."  
>"I am not a traitor and my sister isn't one as well!"<p>

"Bye Hei, I hope we met sometime soon. Next time, bring your sister along with you."

"Alright," Hei replied with a wave.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Bai walked to the door and peered into the eyehole. She saw a girl, wearing some sort of frilly dress waiting outside. Bai opened the door and spoke, "Hello, how may I help you."

"Are you Hei or Bai?" The girl asked.

Bai was surprised that this girl knew of their codenames.

"Who are you?" Bai asked.

"I am Alice, the spectre from last night."

"I am Bai and I do not remember seeing a spectre?"

"Then it must have been Hei."

"Sure."

"The Syndicate wants to have a private chat with the two of you."

Hei just stepped out of an elevator with his hands full of groceries from across the lobby. He noticed his sister talking to a girl wearing an old-fashioned dress and asked, "Hey, who are you talking to?"

"She is a doll," Bai replied.

"A doll?" Hei looked surprised, "Wait, are you the one who appeared in my cup," Hei asked the girl.

"Yes," the girl said, "The two of you will be assigned on a mission today, at 6:30. Be sure to go to M4 4AA."

"Do you know the place?" Hei asked.

"Yes," the girl replied.

"Then can you lead us there because we do not own a phone of any sort," Hei said.

"Certainly, I will show you the way," the girl replied.

"Alright, let me put all my groceries before we leave. Wait a minute," Hei said as he walked into the kitchen with bags of vegetables and canned fish and placed them into a small refrigerator.

Hei and Bai followed "Alice" down the streets until they reached their destination. Unlike what Hei expected, the journey stopped at a dead end.

"Is this where the meeting will be held?" Hei questioned.

"Look beneath you," the girl exclaimed.

"Huh?" Hei was totally confused from the situation he was in. Suddenly, the ground became unstable and the three fell into a cavity that appeared unexpectedly.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!" the three screamed. It was like a roller coaster ride free fall to the bottom of some pit of doom. Hei, Bai and Alice landed hard onto a mat, where one man stood before them; it was Feng and he was wearing the exact same black cloak from last night.

"You are here," Hei asked Feng, "Who is assigning the mission?"

"We will discuss that later my disciple, **if you live**!" Feng's demeanour shifted from a calm and collected person to a mad beast. He attempted to attack Hei but Hei's moves were too fast.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hei asked in confusion.

"You were part of the mission Praha10, are you not?" Feng said with a cunning look.

"So what if I was?"

"You are all traitors!"

"How were we traitors? All we did was following our orders!"

Hei continued to dodge Feng's moves with his acquired talents of agility.

"Dodging my every moves is useless Hei, it only shows how much of a coward you are! Quit escaping the fight and fight like a man!" Feng insulted vaingloriously.

"Bai don't stand there, we must end this madness!" Hei cried.

Feng kicked Hei in the stomach and the force flung him across the room. Hei coughed out blood and was deeply in pain from that strong blow. Feng walked towards Hei, pointing a gun at him. Bai attacked Feng from behind but he anticipated her move and kicked her to the ground. In a split second, Bai inflicted some damage with her powers and rolled on the ground. The doll watched this scene in amusement like some sadistic spectator.

"Do you have any idea what they are doing with contractors here in England?" Feng asked if Hei knew.

"I have no clue," Hei responded truthfully. He was tremendously weakened by his master's blow.

"They are experimenting with us and you were involved in starting this whole mess!"

"No they can't be!" Hei choked on his words.

"But they are! In fact just outside of Manchester, there is a government facility for breeding contractors."

"Why?"

"For three years, there has been conflict after conflict between Great Britain and South America. It all started in Central America two years ago, when a rogue group of the Syndicate renegades started a militia by recruiting contractors all over the Americas. They have been causing terrorism to Western industries by destroying resources of commodities and factories overseas!"

"How is this related to me?"

"Do you remember Dui and Kan?"

Hei looked alarmed that those two were involved. Feng continued, "Dui and Kan thought that the Syndicate was exploiting contractors for more political entitlement, hence they rebelled starting with the people you captured! Do you see? You are equally responsible for international terrorism."

"I am responsible for my poverty?" Hei said out of the blue.

"What was that nonsense?" Feng responded with a puzzled expression.

Hei stood up, struggling to move his way out of his that spot and began to lecture his master,"The disruption between England and South America caused inflation to continuously rise due to the shortage of commodities, trade embargos and acts of terrorism. I had no idea who was the mastermind behind the grand scheme of things but they are the ones who started this whole mess? Are you telling me, that I cannot afford meat on my table because my old comrades took that away from me? Now you relate my existence to their unjust actions, implying the statement that my existence is the root of my poverty? What I just said was nonsense, but it is what you want me to believe!"

Feng stood there speechless and motionless without noticing Hei's distraction being a diversion to take the gun out of his hand. Hei stepped back and pointed the gun at his master, who was on the verge of collapse from his own insanity.

"Master Feng, you have to be freed from your madness, so I will give it to you," Hei said. Hei pulled the trigger to test if the gun worked, and it did. This resulted with a shot that directly penetrated his master's skull. Feng fell to the ground with his life removed from his body.

"Sorry master, I hope you rest in peace," Hei said, restoring the word "hope" into his sentences.

Hei shot the jacket and the round was deflected off without any damage taken. He tried it a couple times until the magazine emptied. Hei concluded this thin piece of fabric was indeed a bulletproof jacket. He removed it from Feng's corpse and looked at the tag: _MADE IN CHINA_.

"Huh, so the Chinese have invented this; a bulletproof jacket that is paper thin," Hei remarked. He turned his head to face the doll. She was looked at him with eyes of adoration.

"Say, if you are a doll then why do you wear that smile on your face?" Hei inquired while wiping the blood off his mouth.

"You have met the wrong dolls Hei, you have met the wrong ones," was her reply.

Bai woke up from her remuneration. She found Hei holding her head and asked, "What happened? Did I miss anything?"

"Nothing much, you only missed witnessing the death of a ridiculous contractor," Hei stated.

"Master Feng is dead?" she questioned.

"You look awfully surprised Bai," said Hei.

She looked at the dead man's body and said, "I am glad that psycho is gone. I never liked him from the start."

"He was a good psycho… too good. I am sure his star has been transported to somewhere where he cannot find you," Hei chuckled.

The night skies cleared for once after weeks of constant rainfall. Hei stood in solitude, between two street lamps with his hands in his pockets while leaning his back against a concrete wall. Hei noticed a woman holding a grocery bag with her daughter trailing behind. "Look, the stars are up!" the woman exclaimed.

"I see them mom, I see them!" the child exclaimed full of excitement and innocence.

"But where is the moon?" the woman asked.

Hei could not help but eavesdrop over a family conversation, the type he never had for over three years now. He was intrigued by this woman's reference. It had been ages since he saw a full moon to the point he can vaguely remember.

"What is a moon?" the child asked her mother. She was probably born only two years before the fallen skies, judging by her appearance and behaviour. Hei looked at the two, mother and daughter who spoke about something he had ever so adored but forgotten. Hei loved the stars more and could recognize most of them dwelling in their mansions up in the night sky.*

*A reference to Chinese astronomy and astrology

"The moon, such grace of femininity fallen with my dreams," he commented and walked into the shadows, past a street lamp.

Hei returned home and sat on the floor in his room. He stared mindlessly at a nail, fixated equidistant between his bedroom window and broken closet. He meditated upon his actions that day, killing his teacher and whatnot. He tilted his head against the walls of his bedroom and kept his inner thoughts to himself, relating the moon to his life thus far:

_Great moon the goddess of the night skies, _

_Why are we here without you?_

_The tides no longer pulled by thy might,_

_Giving life to every crustacean in the sea,_

_Your beauty enthrals the heart of many,_

_But my eyes too blind to see your lunar integrity._

_I was but a fool aching for more of your brethren's powers, _

_Than to appreciate your grace,_

_Your absence is driving me mad,_

_And now I know I can kill._


End file.
